Jan 28 – Feb 3
Saturday was hot, but pretty relaxing. It was mostly a free day, so after breakfast we had time to hang out, journal, and catch up on some reading. A group of us even went over to the field at the school across the street and played ultimate frisbee and soccer. Once we were nice and sweaty, which didn’t take long, we went back and hopped in the pool to cool off. In the afternoon, we got to experience a traditional South African Braai! Three different kinds of meat were barbecued: brisket, chicken, and sausage. We hungrily hung out while they cooked and after a few hours and a couple of snacks we were finally able to indulge in a delicious and very flavorful dinner with people from the community.
Sunday morning we attended a church service at Mondeor Community Church. The husband of one of our hosts is the pastor there and we had a great time experiencing our first church service in South Africa. We got to talk to a lot of people and hung out with the kids for a little while before heading to The Raspberry Farm. A student from Germany who is currently staying in South Africa with his Godmother has joined our group on a couple of outings. His Godmother owns The Raspberry Farm and invited us all over to check it out. While there we got to eat lunch from some of the vendors and taste fresh raspberry frozen yogurt, cheesecake, slushies, and more. We even got to pick 2 buckets of raspberries to take back to St. Benedict’s and then we were invited to swim in the pool on their property! Here is where Andrew introduced us to one of the best games in existence: watermelon rugby. It is exactly what it sounds like – rugby, played with a watermelon, in the pool. After a few intense rounds, we headed back to St. Benedict’s with a new favorite game and a few new bruises.
-MK Bomberger
On Monday we visited the homes of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, as well as Regina Mundi Church. As we toured the Mandela home, we learned about the extraordinary struggles of the Mandela family and observed the remaining bullet and scorch marks on the brick building from the antagonization of state forces which had hoped to intimidate the family into silence. After our brief walk through the small home, we gathered under a tree are buried and had a long discussion about various subjects, including the museums representation of Winnie Mandela and how the popular framing of her as a person is often at odds with both the representations of “black heroes” such as her husband who could do no wrong and of “white villains”, who received much less attention for much greater atrocities.
At Regina Mundi Church we heard the story of how police massacred peaceful student protesters of the Bantu education system inside the church. We saw multiple bullet holes and other damage to the church caused by either police or hordes of fleeing students. The church also has kept the old stained-glass windows from that event, and an examination of the bullet holes in that glass provides testimony that the police used live ammunition.
-John Jantzen
On Tuesday we went to visit Soweto. 
As we drove through the streets and made a few stops such as the Hector Pieterson memorial, we learned about the unfortunate circumstances the people living in this area were dealt with. Small houses, made in cheap ways, which also contain very little resources cover the neighborhoods. These houses might be small, but as Andrew Suderman says: they are large homes from within. There might not be much space, but those that live in Soweto are very welcoming and hospitable; happily willing to add another to their compacted living spaces. This community also radiates hope. These streets are painted with streams of colors. Blue, red, green, yellow, purple, orange etc. Those living in Soweto contain a good deal of creativity. From advertisements painted on walls to street vendors to full-out murals, every corner contains something of interest. This street art helps to keep the atmosphere alive and shows how it can uplift those around it with its bright and colorful nature. Art is culture and even though those in Soweto have dealt with many harsh realities and pain, they seem to show up day in and day out with welcoming spaces and creative spirits that no one can ever take away.
-Molly Piwonka
On Thursday we visited Marikana, a mining town that was the site of a massacre where miners protesting for more livable pay, were answered with bullets. This event from 2012, is still raw in the community and we were honored to visit the community and site it took place. Napoleon, a local activist welcomed us into his four-room home to watch a documentary of the event entitled Miners Shot Down. He was a gracious host who pushed us just outside our comfort zones physically and emotionally. We learned the power of the everyday person in a fight for justice and the importance of sharing stories together. A beautiful moment from the day was sitting on top of the hill where miners sat on strike against the mining companies. The view over the landscape was
stunning but hindered by smokestacks and huge industrial buildings. The domination these companies have over the community and land was apparent. But Napoleon didn’t let us leave with the idea that the people lost. They hadn’t, wages increased and the movement displayed the resilience of the community.
-Nathan Oostland
On Friday we had a vigorous Zulu lesson before we had to fend for ourselves. Andrew and Karen split us into pairs, gave each pair a grocery list in Zulu, drove us to the mall, and expected everyone to translate the grocery list into English by talking with strangers in Zulu without our phones. It was a terrifying experience for some, and an exciting experience for others. After a lot of stumbling over words, everyone got the list translated and we headed back to St. Benedict’s for a relaxing and free afternoon/evening.
-MK Bomberger
